Flux
by Tail Kinker
Summary: The Sailor Senshi must face one of their oldest foes. But Chaos has plans for the Senshi...
1. Part One of Four

*DISCLAIMER*  
  
None of these characters, situations, places, names, letters or  
silicon pathways belong to me. In fact, I'm not even writing  
this fanfic.  
Tail Kinker Presents  
  
F L U X  
  
Part One Of Four  
"Usagi! You have company!"  
  
Tsukino Usagi, Japanese school girl and part-time saviour of all  
humanity, dragged herself away from the TV. "Always, they wait  
until I'm watching something really good...Oh, hi, Ami!" Usagi  
paused; Ami looked rather...serious...at the moment. A sure sign  
that this was Senshi business.  
  
"Usagi...I've got something rather disturbing to show you." She  
glanced pointedly towards the kitchen.  
  
For once, Usagi caught the clue. "Right. Let's just step on up  
to my room..."  
* * * * *  
Ami pulled out her palmtop computer - not the Mercury Computer,  
but a more conventional machine - and handed it to Usagi. "Check  
out the news files."  
  
Usagi paged through the news articles. "What am I looking for?"  
  
"Article #2238."  
  
"...Got it." She read the report, then looked up in surprise.  
"That's one of Jadite's youma. I thought they were all destroyed  
when the Dark Kingdom was defeated."  
  
"Apparently not."  
  
Usagi looked back to the report. "The Honolulu police managed to  
kill the sucker, so I guess we don't need to go to  
Hawai'i...pity..."  
  
"That's not all." Ami wrapped her arms around herself. "Check  
out Article #2247."  
  
"Another youma popped up in Okinawa." Usagi frowned. "The JSDF  
hit it with a missile. We should have tried that."  
  
"There's more."  
  
"Another one?" Usagi flipped through the news articles. "This  
one in Kyoto. Why didn't we hear of this one earlier?"  
  
"Apparently after these things attacked Kadena Air Force Base,  
the JSDF put the whole thing under wraps. That article leaked  
out through a tabloid."  
  
"...Ah."  
  
Ami pulled out a map. "I've plotted the path of the attacks.  
They don't form a straight line, but I tried some curves based on  
these points. This one--" She indicated a red line drawn on the  
map. "--goes nowhere and does nothing. It hits little villages  
at best, where these three attacks were on major population  
centers. This one, though..." She tapped it, then touched a pen  
to her lips. "The next attack, if you follow this curve, would  
be on Seoul. And this one...Hanoi."  
  
"Both of those are rather distant."  
  
Ami nodded. "But we have to cover them. Perhaps the Outer  
Senshi will help us."  
  
"Not likely."  
  
"No. But we have to ask."  
  
Usagi sighed. "I'll call Haruka and Michiru, have them meet us  
at the shrine. You call the other three."  
  
"What about Chibi-Usa?"  
  
"Forget it." Usagi shook her head. "At best, she'd be a  
liability. Her training is nowhere near complete enough to deal  
with a Dark Kingdom monster."  
  
"More likely, you just don't want to put up with her."  
* * * * *  
"All right, girls. The plan is really simple."  
  
"So are you, Usagi."  
  
"You shut up, spore. Now then." Usagi tapped the map. "I can  
take us to both cities without too much trouble, though I'll be  
weakened after making both jumps. I might not be able to fight  
effectively. Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru; I'll take you three to  
Seoul. The five of us will go to Hanoi."  
  
"Wait a minute." Haruka leaned back and crossed her arms. "Why  
are five going to Hanoi, and only three to Seoul?"  
  
Ami piped up. "The probability of an attack on Hanoi is forty-  
three percent higher. Plus, you and Michiru are stronger than,  
quite possibly, the five of us put together. On top of that,  
with Usagi being weakened after the teleport..."  
  
"Fair enough. What about the spore?"  
  
"Hey!" Chibi-Usa shook a tiny fist under Haruka's nose. "I'll  
put up with that from Meatball Head, but not from you."  
  
Haruka snorted.  
  
"Chibi-Usa is staying here with Usagi's mother."  
  
"I am NOT!"  
  
"And how are you gonna follow us, spore?" Usagi leaned forward.  
"If I just don't take you, you're gonna be stuck."  
  
"Wrong. I'll just stow away on a ship."  
  
The room was stunned to silence.  
  
"You wouldn't dare."  
  
Chibi-Usa stalked up to Usagi. "I swear to you, if you don't  
take me with you, I'll jump the next ship out of here. I'll get  
to Hanoi somehow, no matter how long it takes, whether or not  
you're there when I get there..."  
  
Rei stood. "Usagi, she's coming with us."  
  
"Rei! This is blackmail! She won't--"  
  
"You're right. Because we're gonna take her with us."  
  
Ami nodded. "It would be the best choice."  
  
"Besides," added Minako, "it'll be fun for her."  
  
"Not to mention educational."  
  
"FINE!" She sighed in defeat. "But you listen to me, spore: You  
get yourself in trouble, it's all your own fault. Don't be  
looking to me for sympathy."  
  
"Don't worry, Meatball Head. When do I ever look to you for  
sympathy?"  
* * * * *  
"It's too hot here."  
  
"Shut up, spore. You wanted to come. You can suffer."  
  
"But you didn't tell me it would be so HOT!" Chibi-Usa fanned  
herself with a magazine. "I'm gonna dehydrate at this rate!"  
  
Usagi sighed, and slid a glass of water over to Chibi-Usa.  
"Better get some more water into you."  
  
The Tsukinos were not the only misery in Hanoi. The weather also  
qualified. The table that Usagi and Chibi-Usa were sitting at  
was in the shade, just outside a small tea house, but the  
temperature was still horrid. Add to that the humidity, the  
language barrier, and the general dislike that the average  
Vietnamese had for the average Japanese...  
  
Ami and Rei walked up to the table. Ami set two bottles of  
orange juice in front of Chibi-Usa. "Here. Each of you drink  
one of these. Orange juice is better for fighting dehydration  
than water."  
  
Usagi grabbed a bottle, popped the top and chugged the whole  
thing in one breath. She dropped the bottle and gasped.  
"Thanks, Ami."  
  
"No problem." Ami sat down and pulled out her palmtop. "I was  
unable to find any more news about marauding monsters."  
  
"Joy."  
  
"We'll just have to wait for one to make a move, then pulverize  
it." Rei smacked her fist into her open palm. "After that, we  
can extrapolate their next target."  
  
"Wouldn't it be better to--" Ami was interrupted by a beep from  
her communicator. She pulled it out and flipped it open.  
  
"Haruka! What news?"  
  
"It came here." Sailor Uranus looked rather battered and singed.  
"Whatever the hell it was, it was powerful. It managed to get a  
good hit on Hotaru--"  
  
"Oh, no!" Usagi leaned towards the communicator. "Is she okay?"  
  
"Yeah. She got a couple of cracked ribs and a broken collarbone,  
but she'll live." She snorted. "Can't say the same for the  
beast, though. Michiru freaked. She just about went berserk,  
tore the thing apart with her bare hands." Haruka managed to look  
impressed. "I've never seen her do anything like this before.  
She's no pacifist, but she's always been rather less...aggressive  
than me. But when that...thing...hit Hotaru..." Haruka  
shuddered.  
  
Usagi had been on the recieving end of more than a few attacks  
launched by Michiru and Haruka; she almost felt sorry for the  
monster. Then she pictured Hotaru, the delicate Senshi knocked  
flying by the monster, lying in a crumpled heap...  
  
*That critter got off lucky.*  
  
Ami finished plotting her curve. "That means that its next  
attack point is almost certainly Beijing."  
  
"Not this one. This one's next stop is Tarterus."  
  
"I mean the next monster. Whoever's controlling these things has  
led a fairly consistent curve. Haruka, is it possible for you  
three to reach Beijing?"  
  
"No." Haruka managed to look apologetic. "Setsuna contacted us,  
and told us that under no circumstances were we to get involved  
in this. Said it was dangerous to the time stream for some  
reason." She scowled. "I thought it was really none of our  
business, at first...just the remnants of an old fight...but now  
I want to hurt them!"  
  
Usagi shook her head. "No, Haruka. You've gotta listen to  
Setsuna; she knows what she's doing. I'll come to Seoul, take  
you three back to Tokyo."  
  
"Don't worry about it. We've already got plane tickets." Haruka  
looked at Usagi intensely. "Go to Beijing. Stop the attack  
there. And if you can, learn who's controlling them." She looked  
bitter. "And punish them."  
  
"You have my word."  
  
Ami closed the communicator, then looked up at Usagi. The  
sometime Princess' face was set in a mask.  
  
"Hotaru got hurt because she listened to me. These monsters are  
left over from our fight. Hotaru got hurt because I didn't do a  
good enough job on the mop-up."  
  
"You--"  
  
She whirled on Rei. "Don't say anything, Rei! It's my fault  
she's hurt. And someone's gonna pay." She turned to Ami.  
"Contact Makoto and Minako. Tell them we're leaving for Beijing,  
first thing in the morning."  
  
Ami nodded, and reopened the communicator.  
* * * * *  
The bus bounced along the narrow country road, slowing  
occasionally to allow children to cross in front of it. Though  
the weather was just as stifling hot, it was much less humid, and  
the six Senshi were enjoying themselves more than they had in  
Hanoi. Makoto, in particular, was quite taken with the scenery,  
and spent an awful lot of time staring at the hills and forests.  
  
Ami was pecking at her palmtop. Without proper telephone lines,  
she had been cut off from accessing Internet news, but her  
palmtop was capable of recieving FM radio. The problem lay in  
getting a channel that would report the news in some language she  
spoke. Her Cantonese was pretty good, but mostly she was getting  
Vietnamese stations.  
  
Rei had spent most of the trip dozing, but snapped awake when the  
van lurched to a stop. She blinked, and looked out the window.  
  
"Oh, hell. Usagi!"  
  
"What?" Usagi stopped tormenting her 'daughter', and turned to  
Rei. "Problem?"  
  
"Yeah. A really, really big problem." She jerked a thumb  
towards the window. "See those four trigger-happy goons  
approaching the van? The ones who look like they're about to ask  
for our non-existent entry visas? They are the problem."  
  
"Oh, is that all?"  
  
Rei blinked.  
  
"Don't worry. They won't be a problem."  
  
"How can you say that, Usagi?"  
  
Usagi glanced at the piece of paper in her hand. "Ami's gonna  
get us past them. Right, Ami?"  
  
Ami was sweating. "Um...I kinda wish you'd mentioned that  
earlier, Usagi."  
  
"Don't worry, Ami. You'll do fine."  
  
"Usagi, I really have no idea--" Ami shut up just as the first  
goon stepped into the van. She watched as the goon went from  
person to person, checking papers and identification. Finally,  
the goon came to her.  
  
"Identification and entry visa, please."  
  
Ami silently handed the goon her identification. The goon looked  
it over, then looked back at her. "These five are with you?"  
  
"Y-yes."  
  
"Carry on." The goon turned around and marched off the bus.  
  
Ami let her breath out, then turned and glared at Usagi. "What  
happened?"  
  
"Simple." Usagi handed Ami a poster. Ami took it and looked  
down at it--and gasped.  
  
The poster, written in Chinese, stated that the girl in the  
picture was a common visitor to China, usually through unusual  
means. It also stated that she was a deadly threat in hand-to-  
hand combat, but known not to be a threat to the state. It  
advised all government officials simply to let her--and anyone  
with her--pass.  
  
The shocking part was the picture. It looked almost identical to  
Ami.  
  
"Usagi..." She let the paper fall from her fingers. "Where did  
you get this?"  
  
"Off of the post office wall in the last town we stopped in."  
  
Ami shook her head in disbelief. "You might have tried warning  
me..."  
* * * * *  
The youma lifted the limo over its head and threw it into a  
nearby bus. Several police officers milled around it, firing  
their handguns into it, but having no effect.  
  
Six Senshi knelt on a nearby rooftop, watching the battle.  
Sailor Mars glared at Sailor Moon. "We've gotta get in there  
soon!"  
  
"Wait for it. I want the police to back off first." Sailor Moon  
turned to glare at Chibi-Moon. "And you had better stay well out  
of the action."  
  
"Hey, this thing looks nice and worthless. What can happen?"  
  
A motorcycle landed on the roof, only a few inches away from  
Chibi-Moon.  
  
"On second thought..."  
  
Usagi stood up. "That's it. All police officers are in retreat.  
One down in the region, but still alive. Be careful that you  
don't hit him.  
  
"Let's get in there."  
  
The six Senshi landed in the middle of the street, twenty meters  
from the monster. Sailor Moon immediately struck a silly pose.  
  
"The time for your kind is over; your leaders were vanquished  
years ago, and your entire Dark Kingdom vaporized. But still you  
are here, terrorizing helpless innocents. In the name of the  
Moon, I shall punish you."  
  
Sailor Mars winced. "I wish she wouldn't do that."  
  
The youma appeared totally unconcerned by Sailor Moon's speech.  
Like most of the Dark Kingdom's abominations, it appeared female,  
and had probably masqueraded as such before metamorphosing into  
its current form. Its skin was grey and scaly, and long red hair  
billowed outward from its head. It had four arms and four legs,  
and each finger and toe was tipped with a massive claw. It  
turned to face the Senshi, and launched a fireball towards them.  
  
"Scatter!" The Senshi leapt in all directions, and the fireball  
impacted the street where they'd been standing.  
  
"Flame Sniper!" Sailor Mars readied a flaming arrow, and shot  
the creature through the chest. The creature bellowed in rage,  
and hurled another fireball at Mars. She jumped out of the way,  
then stared in shock as the cauterized hole in the creature's  
chest...closed.  
  
"It can heal itself. Even fire damage it can heal!"  
  
"Not good." Sailor Moon frowned. "That means most of my attacks  
will be worthless - they're mostly based on healing."  
  
Sailor Mercury landed next to her. "We've got another problem.  
Most of our attacks were developed after the battle with the Dark  
Kingdom. Our newer attacks won't affect this thing. We've got  
to rely on our older attacks."  
  
"Right. Venus--"  
  
"Way ahead of you." Sailor Venus leapt to a small ledge on a  
nearby building. "Crescent Beam!" The Beam impaled the creature,  
but the hole it caused rapidly closed.  
  
"Thunder Smash!" Jupiter's attack was simple enough; just call  
down a bolt of lightning. But though the youma staggered, it  
righted itself quickly and resumed its assault.  
  
Sailor Mercury had no damaging attacks available. She monitored  
the battle with the Mercury Computer. "None of us have an attack  
that causes enough widespread damage to it. Small wounds heal in  
seconds; even Jupiter's lightning attacks aren't enough."  
  
Sailor Moon smacked her forehead. "I should have thought of this  
before. It's still just a Dark Kingdom construct, right?"  
  
"Yes, but--"  
  
Sailor Moon jumped down onto the street. She removed her tiara,  
which promptly started to glow.  
  
Sailor Venus gaped. "What is she doing? That attack hasn't  
worked in--"  
  
"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon threw the glowing tiara. It  
smacked into the monster and immolated it almost instantly.  
  
"--years. Right. It's an old monster." Ami snapped her  
computer shut. "For once, she figured it out before me."  
* * * * *  
"I've plotted this attack, and also two other attacks that  
occured, one in Saigon and one in Hong Kong." Ami frowned. "This  
alters all three curves radically. And all three curves  
intersect...here." She circled a small area on the map. "I can't  
be certain of the exact location, but I am certain that the next  
attack should occur somewhere in Qinghai Province."  
  
"Umm...Ami, Qinghai is rather large. Are you certain you can't  
narrow it down?"  
  
"Well, somewhere in this area of Qinghai, in the mountains." Ami  
shook her head in frustration. "There's something inherently  
wrong with the pattern, but I'm not sure what. But if we go to  
Qinghai, I can track the negative energy patterns better."  
  
"All right." Usagi pulled out her own map. "We can catch a bus  
to here, then walk the rest of the way. It should only be about  
twenty kilometers from the last stop."  
  
Groans all around.  
  
"Oh, come on! We can do twenty kay in a day if we need to! Even  
if we take it slow, we can do five kay per day, and spend some  
time camping." Usagi smiled. "I love camping!"  
* * * * *  
Author's Notes:  
  
I can blame this one on Kitsy. It was all her idea. Of course,  
it was me that decided that it really needed writing...  
  
I'm just gonna defuse some of the flames before they even reach  
me. Yes, I do realize that the Japanese version of Sailor Moon  
does not use the term 'Meatball Head'. But I don't really care.  
It's three in the morning, and I don't have the means to get the  
correct term. Second, I'm not entirely certain what happened to  
Jadite, but I do believe that he could have survived. If you  
disagree, well...I'll just fudge continuity (like I never have  
before :) so that he could. If you disagree with that...cope.  
  
Comments and Criticism can be sent to tailkinker@home.com.  
Flames can be sent to kitsy@home.com.  
  
A Further Author's Notes:  
  
Okay, I found out what happened to Jadeite, but it has ceased to  
be important. All references to the poor goon are being removed.  
  
Ja Ne! 


	2. Part Two of Four

*DISCLAIMER*

None of these characters, situations, places, names, letters or silicon pathways belong to me. In fact, I'm not even writing this fanfic.

Tail Kinker Presents

F L U X

Part Two of Six

"Are you sure this is the place?"

Mercury examined her computer. "Yes, this is the place. There is a small amount of negative energy present, enough that an inactive youma might be present. Plus, all three curves point to this area. Given the pattern of attacks we've seen so far, this is the logical place for the next attack to occur."

Sailor Moon frowned. "But all the other places were big cities. This place is...well, it's nothing!"

"True." Sailor Mercury scratched her head. "I don't really understand it myself."

Jupiter leaned over. "Uh, Ami, I hate to burst your bubble...but would that over there count as an active youma?"

Mercury glanced up...and boggled.

On a nearby ridge was a massive creature that appeared to be part gorilla and part bull. It stood on two back legs, and had arms that ended in huge fists. In addition, it had two white feathered wings and four long tentacles projecting from its back. It appeared to be ignoring the Senshi, and was tromping towards the only house in the valley.

"Guys, we gotta stop it! It's gonna flatten that house!"

Mercury scanned the creature quickly. "Makoto, it's not a youma."

"Oh, come on! LOOK at it!"

Mars spoke up. "I really don't think it matters whether or not it's a youma, Ami. We have to stop it before it kills whoever's in that house."

Mercury snapped her computer shut. "That...thing...has a negative energy signature, but it's weak. We might be forced to rely on physical combat."

Sailor Moon nodded. "Got it." She jumped towards the creature.

"Wait!" Mercury tried to grab her, but was too slow.

Jupiter paled. "That thing'll pound her into gravy! Let's go, guys!"

Mercury watched helplessly as the other four Inner Senshi followed their Fearless Leader into battle. Even Chibi-Usa seemed anxious to mix it up.

"This is insane!"

She snapped the computer shut and leapt after them.

* * * * *

"A home is a place built on love and dreams, and must never be needlessly destroyed. In the name of the Moon, I shall punish you!"

"Oh, shut up, Usagi!"

The creature turned and gazed balefully at Sailor Moon. It snorted, and she got the distinct impression that she was being laughed at.

Sailor Mercury had her computer out and was scanning the monster. "Remember, the last one we fought was immune to our later attacks."

"Right." Sailor Moon reached for her tiara.

"Wait!" Mars looked concerned. "I thought you said it wasn't a youma!"

"It's not."

"Then--"

"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon launched the glowing tiara at the monster, and was surprised to see it calmly bat the projectile out of the air.

"Sailor Moon! We have to rely on physical combat, remember?"

"Physical? I suck at that stuff."

Sailor Jupiter growled, and cracked her knuckles. "I don't."

She launched herself at the beast, and opened up with a three-hit combo - knee strike, punch and spin kick. But the monster calmly absorbed the punishment, then raised a hand and casually knocked her down.

"Ow!" She rolled to her feet, rubbing her shoulder where the creature had hit her. "That thing is really tough."

Mars landed next to her. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She scowled. "Let's tag team this sucker."

Jupiter attacked high, aiming a flying kick at its head. When it moved an arm to defend itself, knocking her flying in the process, Sailor Mars attacked low, slamming a fist into its solar plexus. The creature *whuff*ed, then grabbed her with a tentacle and tossed her across the valley. She smacked into one of the bamboo poles, yelping at the impact, then fell into the pool below.

"Mars!" Sailor Venus paused for a second, but Mars did not surface. "Chibi-Moon, go help Mars!" She turned towards the creature, a deadly look in her eyes.

"Crescent Beam!"

The beam sliced through one of the creature's arms, burning a neat hole all the way through. The creature roared in pain.

Mercury blinked. "It worked?" She turned to Sailor Moon. "Try another attack!"

"What's the point? My Moon Tiara just bounced. And it's my most powerful attack against this sort of youma."

"I keep telling you, it's not a youma!"

Chibi-Moon ran into the fray. "You hurt my friend! You're gonna pay!"

"Chibi-Usa, get out of there! That thing's really dangerous!"

The creature absent-mindedly slapped the young Senshi into a nearby pool.

"No!" Sailor Venus launched herself towards the pool. She couldn't let the girl drown...

Sailor Moon watched in horror. Three of the Senshi had fallen in under five seconds. Things were coming apart at the seams. Why couldn't she think of something to do?

Mercury snapped her computer shut. "We've got to end this!" She leapt into the battlefield. "Shabon Spray!"

She knew that none of her attacks were particularly dangerous. But perhaps she could distract it long enough for someone else to deal with it...

The Shabon Spray enveloped the creature, and it howled in frustration. Sailor Mercury turned to Jupiter. "Nail it!"

"Too right. Supreme Thunder!"

*BAM*

The combination attack produced a cloud of superheated steam, and a supersonic shockwave as the now-boiling Shabon Spray expanded outward. It worked better with Rei in the mix, but...

The steam cleared, to reveal...a young man lying in a muddy crater.

"What the hell...?"

"Nooo!" Sailor Moon dropped to her knees and started bawling.

"What? What is it?"

"You killed it! And I didn't get a chance to finish it off!"

Jupiter dropped her face into her hand. "Oh, lord."

Mercury walked up to him and scanned him with the Mercury Computer. "It's the monster that we were just fighting. His Kirlian Aura is identical. Plus, look here." She indicated the small, cauterized wound on his arm. "It's where Venus shot him. But how...?"

Jupiter rubbed her chin. "Perhaps the monster form was the result of demonic possession? Where's Rei? She knows all about this sort of thing."

"Not Demon."

"Huh?" The three Senshi turned to face the speaker. He was a rather pudgy man, dressed in the official uniform of the Maoist Party of the Republic of China. Oddly, he carried a teakettle in one hand.

Sailor Moon stood up to face the man. "You know about this?"

"Yes. Is very tragic story." He sat down on a nearby log, and reached down to pet a rabbit. Sailor Moon blinked.

"So what is he? And where are the other three?"

"They here." The man pointed down to the rabbit at his feet. Another one, smaller and with slightly pink fur, was sitting nearby. "One other, over there." He pointed across the way, at a hawk balancing on a pole.

"What are you talking about?"

"This place is Training Ground of Cursed Springs, Jushenkyou. There over one hundred pools here. Each one have very tragic story, that always end in drowning. This place magical, so that anyone who fall in spring become what drown there first."

"You're joking, right?"

"Ummm...Jupiter..." Mercury had her computer open again. "Bear in mind who we are, then ask yourself if he's joking."

"...Right."

Sailor Moon stared at the two rabbits. The pink one was obviously Chibi-Usa, making the other one - a more normally-coloured rabbit - Sailor Venus, who'd jumped into the spring to save Chibi-Usa. The hawk, therefore, would be Mars. "How...how do we fix it?"

The guide raised the kettle, and poured it over the larger rabbit. Almost instantly, it morphed into Aino Minako.

"Oh, thank the Kami!"

Minako blinked, then scowled. "Someone wanna pass me some clothes?"

Sailor Moon blinked, then giggled. "Ummm...Sorry, I don't actually have a spare set."

The guide passed her a black shirt, a yellow sweater and a black pair of pants. "These belong to a previous guest, but he leave behind. Maybe they no fit, but better than nothing."

Minako scrambled into the clothing in record time.

"So all we need to do is to pour water on them, and they'll be fine?"

"No. Must be hot water. And only for while." The guide poured some more water on the other rabbit, who morphed back to Chibi-Usa. He then handed her some clothes. "These belong to my daughter. She too big for them now. You can keep."

Sailor Mercury nodded. "So it's only a temporary fix. How long?"

"Until cold water. Cold water make turn back into rabbits. Hot water work again."

"This is terrible!" Sailor Moon was back into full wail. "And it's all my fault!"

"Hardly." Minako sniffed. "I should have thought twice before diving in after Chibi-Usa."

"But now you're cursed!"

The hawk flew down to alight beside the guide. He administered the hot water, then handed her some more clothes - a red silk chinese outfit. Rei, blushing furiously, scrambled into the clothes.

"There's gotta be a more permanent cure."

"But where?!"

Mercury turned back to the guide. "Sir, of all the springs here, are there any springs of drowned girl?"

Sailor Moon stopped bawling. "Good idea!"

The guide lit his pipe, and puffed on it once or twice. "There is two. One made fifteen hundred year ago. Very tragic story of girl raped and murdered by--"

"Woah! Ten minutes in the penalty box for excess information!"

The guide blinked. "Other is very new, only one year old. Tragic story of girl drowned in spring, then brought back to life."

"How is that tragic?"

"Others use spring to try to murder her husband."

Rei stood. "Well, if you'll just show us to one of these springs..."

"Not good idea."

"Why not?"

"Curse not..." He struggled for the words. "Two curse make new curse. Like boy over there." He pointed at the still-unconscious man in the crater.

Ami glanced over. "You mean he went into more than one spring?"

"Yes."

"Oh..." She shuddered.

"What is it?" Chibi-Usa looked at her. "What's wrong?"

"Well, if I understand him correctly...Let's just say that if you were to jump into the spring of drowned girl. You'd still be cursed, but your cursed form would be half human and half rabbit."

"Cool!"

Mercury shook her head. "Quite frankly, I don't think we need to complicate the issue any more than it already is." She turned back to the guide. "Do you know of any permanent cure?"

"So sorry."

"Do you know of anyone who does?"

The guide considered, took a puff on his pipe, then nodded slowly. "There is village of Amazon women near. But they no like outsiders."

"We'll have to take that chance. How do we get there?"

* * * * *

The Senshi had transformed back to their normal form, once they'd left the guide behind. Now, they stood before the main gates to the village of Joketsuzoku, faced with an insurmountable problem: the sentries.

"You go away."

Usagi took a quick look at the women's weapons, and muscles, and made a quick decision. "What a great idea! Come on, girls, let's take these ladies' advice..."

Rei grabbed her collar. "Get back here, you wuss."

Ami stepped up to one of the Amazons, and mustered her best Cantonese. We need to speak with an Elder regarding Jushenkyou.

They stared at her, and she began to worry. Then, one of them addressed her. There is only one Elder from this village with knowledge of the Cursed Springs. And she is not here. You have wasted a journey.

Where may I find this Elder?

The Amazon frowned. We do not simply tell anyone the location of our elders. You must prove yourselves worthy.

Ami started to sweat. And how do we do that?

Through battle, of course. The Amazon turned and handed her mace to the other sentry. You may choose your champion.

"Oh, great." She turned to the others.

"So what's the deal, Ami? Are they gonna let us in?"

"Well, Usagi...they say we need to go see their Elder, who isn't here, but they won't tell us where the Elder is unless..."

"Unless?"

Ami sighed. "Unless we defeat one of them in battle."

Makoto cracked her knuckles. "I can handle this."

"I don't think you can, Makoto." Usagi shook her head. "I got us into this mess. I'll try to figure out some other way to get us out of it."

"I'll do it," said Rei.

"This is not a time to be brave, Usagi. Either of those women could paste you."

"Oh, and you'd do any better?"

"I'm a good scrapper."

"I'll do it," said Rei.

"Oh, sure, Makoto, but you're just a brawler. These two are trained martial artists."

"I've got a hell of a better chance than you do."

"I SAID--" Rei sighed. "You idiots."

"Huh?" Both the girls looked at Rei. Usagi scratched her head. "What did we do?"

"I'll fight them." Rei started some warm-up stretches. "I've got martial arts training, plus some weapons training, and I'm almost as strong as Makoto."

"But--"

"Shut up, Usagi. You've got your skills, and I've got mine. Go sit down and watch the show." She turned to the Amazon. "I'm you're opponent."

"Is good. I Lo Fan." She bowed, hands in front of her, in the Chinese style. "We fight no weapons, is okay?"

"Is okay." Rei bowed, then shifted to a battle stance. "Any time you're ready."

The kick was so sudden and vicious that Rei never even hand a chance to raise a hand in defense. The Amazon's foot connected with the side of her head, and she was knocked back a step. She recovered, and launched a series of quick punches and kicks at the Amazon.

Lo Fan quickly and efficiently blocked all of the strikes. She sniffed. "If this best girl can do, this not take long." She stepped in close, and her hands blurred, striking Rei repeatedly, faster than the eye could follow.

Usagi jumped to her feet. "Rei!"

The Amazon stepped back, leaving Rei standing unsteadily, weaving back and forth. She propelled herself into a vicious spin-kick, thowing Rei back ten feet, and leaving her face down in the dirt.

Lo Fan snorted and turned away. "I win. You go away."

"No..."

The Amazon turned back. Rei had staggered to her feet, and was moving towards her again. She was obviously groggy from the kick, but stood with hands ready in a kempo stance.

"Where are you going? I'm not dead yet."

"Will be soon, stupid girl." Lo Fan slid back towards her, then spun into a nasty sweep-kick. Rei jumped the kick, but was knocked flying again by the follow-up kick. This time, the Amazon paused, and watched with amazement as the girl got back up.

"Stupid girl not know when to quit." Lo Fan stepped forward, and with incredible speed, drove a quick series of snap punches into Rei's face.

Rei's head snapped backward, and she was forced to take a few steps back to avoid falling. She shook her head to clear it, then quickly wiped at the blood flowing from her nose.

"I can't..."

"Stupid girl! Why you no quit?" The Amazon kicked her again. Rei was simply to groggy to dodge, and took the hit on the leg. She gasped in pain, and fell to the ground, but started pulling herself back up.

The Amazon hissed, and moved forward, one hand cocked for a killing blow. Usagi reached for her locket - she couldn't just sit and watch as her friend was killed...

Stop.

The Amazon turned to look at her partner. The other sentry had stepped forward, and pointed at Rei.

This one is worthy.

The Amazon nodded, then turned to face the other girls. "You pass test. You find Elder Kuh Lon in Nerima, in Japan. Good luck." She turned back to Rei, and helped her to her feet. "What is your name?"

Rei shook her head, trying to get her addled brains back into order. "H--huh?"

"What is your name?"

"Hino Rei."

Lo Fan bowed to her. "You true warrior. You no abandon mission, even if mean death. You always welcome here."

Rei smiled slightly. "Thanks."

* * * * *

The train rattled along the railway, every joint in the rails bouncing the entire car in a continuous clackity-clack. Not at all the quiet, constant thrum of a Japanese railcar.

Usagi stared out the window. *It's all my fault. The curses, Rei getting hurt, Hotaru getting hurt...*

She looked around the compartment. Most of the Senshi were asleep, though how they could sleep through the racket, she did not know. One of them, however, was gazing out the window at the night-time landscape.

"Rei..."

Rei looked up at Usagi. "Look, Meatball Head, just sit down and don't worry about me. You've been hovering over me for the last three days. I'm not made of glass, you know."

"But...you were beaten so badly. I mean, your nose was broken, and you've got a fractured leg--"

"Greenstick fracture. It'll heal in a week."

"--and so many bruises. And it's my fault." She sighed. "I should have fought the Amazon."

"Forget it." Rei shook her head. "You're way too important. As much as that disturbs me."

"But--"

"It's my job to protect you. Right? I can't very well sit back and let an Amazon pound on you."

"Rei..." Usagi sighed. "Thanks."

"No problem...Just do me a favour, okay?"

"Sure. Anything."

"Remember this phrase...'You should see the other guy'..."

* * * * *

Author's Notes:

This one's not getting pre-read. Let's see how well I do with no error correction. :)

As with the last chapter: I know only a little about Sailor Moon after the first couple of seasons. If you see any glaring errors...Please try to understand. And if you can't understand...just cope.

Comments and Criticism can be sent to tailkinker@home.com. Flames can be sent almost anywhere else.

Ja ne!


	3. Part Three of Four

*DISCLAIMER*

None of these characters, situations, places, names, letters or silicon pathways belong to me. In fact, I'm not even writing this fanfic.

Tail Kinker Presents

F L U X

Part Three of Six

The train whistle blew, jolting Usagi out of an already-forgotten nightmare. She sat up stiffly, and stretched, trying to realign joints that had seized up from the punishment of a six-hour train ride.

"Ano..." Rei sat up slowly, holding her head in her hand.

Usagi winced, as a twinge went through her neck. "I feel like hell."

Rei looked up at her blearily, her eyes refusing to focus. "I got news for you, Usagi. You don't look so hot either."

"Gee. Thanks." She glanced out the train window. "We're pulling into the Nerima station now. You wanna wake up the other four?"

"You get Chibi-Usa up; she's had some nightmares. I'll get the other three."

"Nightmares?" Usagi sniffed. "I warned her before we left--"

"Don't. Just...don't." Rei turned away from Usagi and gave Ami a shove.

Usagi sighed. There were some days that you got absolutely no respect at all. And those were the good days. She gently shook Chibi-Usa. "Wake up, sleepy. We're here."

Chibi-Usa rolled over and snorted. Usagi frowned. "Get up, you little spore!"

Chibi-Usa sat bolt upright. "Don't call me that!"

"Knew that'd work." Usagi helped the smaller girl to her feet. "Get your jacket on. We've arrived."

* * * * *

The bell jingled as the door to the Nekohanten opened. Shampoo looked up, to see three young women walk in. She scowled. "What Kitchen Destroyer do here?"

Oddly, it was one of the other girls that answered, a blonde girl with two long pigtails. "Hey! My cooking isn't that bad!"

Shampoo blinked. "Is not Kitchen Destroyer...So sorry! Welcome to Nekohanten, Shampoo take your order, is okay?"

The girl that she had mistaken for Akane - now that she looked closer, she could see that this girl was more slender, and was wearing earrings. Plus, she could never recall Tendo Akane coming to the Nekohanten without Ranma in tow.

Her two companions hung back slightly. One, the girl with the pigtails, was absentmindedly toying with a small brooch pinned to the front of her jacket. The other, a tall girl with long dark hair, looked to have been severely beaten some time in the recent past.

The short-haired girl approached her somewhat nervously, and addressed her in halfway decent, if accented, Cantonese. We are here to speak to the Elder Kuh Lon. We were told we might find her here.

Shampoo raised an eyebrow. Whom may I tell her has come to speak with her?

Mizuno Ami, Tsukino Usagi and Hino Rei.

Wait here, and I will tell her. Shampoo turned and walked out of the room.

"Umm, Ami? What's going on?"

Ami turned to the other two. "She said that she's going to tell Kuh Lon that we're here. Whether or not Kuh Lon chooses to speak to us--"

"Never fear, young one."

Ami turned to face the speaker - a tiny, wizened old woman, balanced on a staff as though it were a pogo stick.

"If you've gone to the trouble to find me, the least I can do is find out why. Eh?"

Ami bowed to her. We went first to--

"Please, feel free to speak Japanese. Not only will it be more comfortable for you, but it's more practise for my great-granddaughter." Kuh Lon pulled out a chair and dropped herself into it. "Now then. How may I be of service?"

Ami looked down at her sneakers. "Well, we went to China, and we--"

"Stop." Kuh Lon raised her hand. "You have been to Jushenkyou, and now are cursed. Am I correct?"

"Well...yes." Ami blinked. "How did you know?"

"Well, if you've been to China, and are now looking for the only Elder with direct knowledge of the Cursed Springs..."

"Ah." Ami nodded. "Yes. We're looking for a way to get rid of the curse, and the guide there told us that the Amazon Village had most of the information on the springs. We went there, and they told us to come here to find you."

"Obviously," said Kuh Lon, glancing over at Rei, "they did not simply give this information away."

"True."

"Well, it is true that I know many ways to stop the action of the Curse. As far as I know, there is no direct cure for the Curse itself; the best that can be managed is control of the change itself. But again, this information is not simply to be given away."

Ami gulped. "What do we have to do?"

Kuh Lon chuckled. "It's very simple, actually. I take it that the three of you are rather skilled fighters?"

"Well, yes..." Ami sighed. "Rei had to fight one of your warriors before they'd even tell us where you were."

"I can see that. Obviously she heals quickly." Kuh Lon drew a puff from her pipe and looked the threesome over. "There is a certain individual in this town, an arrogant young martial artist who has caused problems for many of us. Primarily, he is a sexist. To be defeated in battle by a woman may take some of the air out of his sails. Do this, and I will give you a means to control the Curse."

"Woah!" Usagi stepped forward. "I don't like this at all! Beat up a guy? Just for a cure for the curses? That's totally against everything we stand for!"

Kuh Lon glared at her. "There is no other way for you to get the cure. Are you prepared to discard that for your own values?"

"Sometimes values require a sacrifice!"

"Shut up, Usagi. You ain't cursed." Rei cracked her knuckles. "Besides, if he's that much of a sexist, he needs a good beating. Maybe all five of us should gang up on him!"

"Five?" Kuh Lon looked closer at Usagi. "You do look familiar..."

"Uh-oh..."

Kuh Lon's eyes widened. "Your aura shows you to be of the Silver Millenium. You are one of the Senshi!"

"Uh...You must be mistaken..."

"No, I don't think so." Kuh Lon smiled. "I suppose it shall be easy work for you to defeat Ranma."

"I guess so..."

Kuh Lon turned back to Rei. "I am afraid that you will be unable to simply attack Ranma all at once. I would not accept that as a worthy victory. You must attack him one-on-one. It is the most honourable approach."

Rei sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that." She bowed. "Thanks for the offer. I'll take it to the others and see what they say."

Usagi smacked Rei arm. "That's my job!"

"Cope."

* * * * *

"I hate to say it, but she's got us over a barrel."

Usagi chewed idly on one of her ponytails. "What I'd like to know is how she knew who we were. I mean, she just glanced at me, and knew we were Sailor Senshi."

Rei sighed. "She just looked at our auras."

"Oh, I'm sure that tells you everything you need to know, Miss Fortune Teller." Usagi jumped up and began to pace. "How about explaining it for us mere mortals?"

"I've tried explaining it to you, Usagi. You're just too dense to figure it out!"

"Guys..."

The two ignored Ami. Rei stepped up, a finger pointed at Usagi. "I can't even begin to imagine how you've survived all this time. And as leader, yet!"

"Guys..."

"Oh, sure, Rei. Like you'd do any better. 'Oh, there's a new threat in town. Guess I should do a fire reading about it.' As opposed to, say, just going out and looking at it."

"Guys..."

"Better to not expose yourself to danger until neccessary. Though to watch you in action, you'd swear it was never neccessary."

"GUYS!"

The two whirled to face Ami. Simultaneously, they yelled, "What?"

Ami simply pointed...at the young man who was staring at them in confusion. The gentleman in question was dressed rather oddly - a traditional kendoist's garb and sandals, with a bokuto in hand.

The man took a tentative step towards them. "Mine eyes do deceive the mind, for it seems that before me, I do see Tendo Akane. Yet, to hear her speak, it is obvious that it is not so. For certainly, was Tendo Akane ever the assertive, strong and even temperamental woman. Whereas you, lovely lady, are quiet and demure."

The three blinked. Finally, Usagi managed to find her voice. "Uh...who exactly are you referring to?"

The kendoist pointed his bokuto at Ami. "Why, to this vision of loveliness, almost the equal of my love, Tendo Akane."

"And what's wrong with us?"

Kuno blinked. "Certainly, you are both fair to behold - you, with your pale hair of such amazing length, and you, raven-tressed and obviously healthy."

"That's better." Usagi sniffed.

"You three are perhaps newly arrived in Nerima? For certainly, if you were long-term residents, you would have heard of Tendo Akane. As well as my illustrious self."

Usagi nodded. "Actually, we're looking for a guy called Saotome..."

"Saotome!" The kendoist's countenance darkened. "That fiend! The ebon sorceror who has enslaved both Tendo Akane and the Pigtailed Girl!"

"Ummm..." Rei stepped forward. "Tell us more."

"The foul demon in human form is a shape-changing demon, who has trapped the fair Tendo Akane in a sham of an engagement, quite against her will! He holds the Pigtailed Girl in some form of dark magical bondage, that grants him total control over her mind, body and soul! He has employed his ebon arts against not only myself, but several others in this fair city!"

Usagi nudged Rei. "I guess we got our justification for taking him out, eh? In fact, sounds like he's right up our alley."

Rei nodded, then addressed the kendoist. "Okay, pal. Where can we find this Saotome guy?"

* * * * *

Sailor Mercury flipped open her computer and began scanning the house before her. From her vantage point in the tree, it was unlikely that she'd be noticed.

She glanced over her shoulder, to see Sailor Mars on the roof of a nearby building. In case things got ugly, at least she'd have some backup. But Makoto had pointed out that while possibly two of them could hide in the neighbourhood, six was probably out of the question.

From within the house, a male voice could be heard: "Ah, come on, Akane! I told you, your cooking has really improved!"

Mercury locked onto all the life-forms in the house, and began scanning for Saotome. There was only one male in the house of the right age group - the one currently speaking. There was also one negative energy trace.

Oddly, they were not the same person.

The voice continued. "After all, it used to be so bad that even a hog would refuse to eat it. But Ryouga was sucking it down like there's--"

"Ranma no baka!" A new voice, female this time. There was a loud *THUMP*, and Saotome - or at least she assumed it was he - came sailing out of the house and smacked into the boundary wall.

Mercury's eyes bugged. ~There's no way he could have survived that!~

But, the young man peeled himself off of the wall, and shook himself once. Mercury scanned him quickly, and was amazed to see that, aside from a nasty bruise, he was completely uninjured. And the bruise wasn't from impacting the wall.

A young woman stepped out of the house, a large mallet in one hand. Mercury boggled again - the woman was a dead ringer for herself!

~This must be that Akane girl that everyone's been mistaking me for.~

Below her, Ranma was rubbing his jaw. "Jeez, Akane. What are ya tryin' to do? Kill me?"

Akane appeared to be quite upset. "That's the general idea!" She swung the mallet at him, and he hopped over the blow. Mercury suddenly realized that the swing was going to hit--

*WHAM*

"Oof!"

Ranma and Akane blinked, as Sailor Mercury fell at their feet.

Akane was the first to recover. "Hey, you! Who are you, and what are you doing in our yard?"

"Ummm..." Mercury picked herself up off the ground. "It's rather difficult to explain..."

Akane glared at Ranma, who held up his hands. "Hey, Akane, if she's another fiancee, then I don't know nothin' about it, okay? Talk to Pops, not me."

"I'm not..." Mercury paused. *Another* fiancee? She idly wondered how many he had, then shook her head and started again. "I'm actually here to...to challenge Ranma Saotome."

Ranma looked at her oddly. "Sorry. I don't hit girls."

Mercury scowled at him. "That's a rather chauvanistic attitude, you know."

Ranma shrugged. "Besides, you're not a martial artist. I don't gotta accept challenges from someone who don't know what they're doin'."

Mercury's scowl deepened. "You...you arrogant pig!"

Akane wordlessly handed her a mallet. Mercury ignored her, and took a step towards Ranma.

Ranma took a step back. "Now, wait a minute--"

"Shabon Spray!"

*SPLASH*

A female and very annoyed Ranma glared at the Sailor Senshi.

Mercury blinked. "You--"

"Fine. I'll fight you." Ranma took a step forward.

"Wait!"

But Ranma wasn't listening. He - now she - launched a powerful kick at Mercury, who was hard pressed to get out of the way in time. Mercury jumped up to the top of the perimeter wall.

Ranma shifted to an odd stance, hands cupped together. "Mouko Takabisha!"

The energy blast caught Sailor Mercury in the gut, tossing her over the wall, and over the next building. On the roof of that building, Sailor Mars watched her fly. She hesitated long enough to make sure that Mercury was going to land safely, then leapt into the Tendo compound.

"All right, you creep. It's my turn!"

She glanced around, and completely failed to find a teenage male.

The red-headed girl groaned. "Not another one."

Mars looked closer at the girl. Red hair, pigtail, chinese clothing..."You must be Saotome Ranko."

The girl eyed her warily. "And you would be?"

Mars drew herself tall. "I am Sailor Mars, warrior of love and justice!"

The darker hair girl smacked a fist into an open palm. "I knew I recognized that other girl! You're the Sailor Senshi, right?"

"Yes. And I'm looking for Saotome Ranma." She looked back to the redhead. "Where can I find him?"

"Another challenge?" The girl shifted into a combat stance. "Bring it on!"

"Ummm...I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to fight Ranma." She darkened. "He's an enemy of all women..."

"ARRGH! Where do you people get your ideas? From listening to Kuno?" The redhead threw a kick at her. She blocked it, and scowled at the girl.

"Look, kid. Don't mess with me, or you're gonna get hurt."

"Mouko Takabisha!"

Mars was a little more alert than Mercury, and dodged the ki blast with room to spare. She scowled at the girl. "So you're the one who blasted Mercury. Guess I underestimated you."

"No kiddin'." The redhead smirked. "Ain't nobody who can defeat Saotome Ranma."

"Well, as soon as I find him, we'll test that theory. Mars Firebird Strike!"

The Firebird formed before her, and she was about to launch her attack...when she realized the redhead was laughing.

"Oh, this is too easy!"

Mars scowled, and launched the Firebird at the redhead. The girl dodged to the left, but the Firebird followed her. Mars smirked; the Firebird was homing, and would follow the girl wherever she ran.

In fact, the girl was now moving at a full tilt run, moving in a big circle around her. She paused. No, not a circle. A spiral, closing on her...

The dark haired girl yelled at the redhead. "Ranma! Not in here, you'll wreck--"

"Hiryuu Shouten Ha!"

A massive blast of wind flipped Sailor Mars into the air. Unable to stop herself from rising, she instead concentrated on minimizing the damage on impact.

~That pond in their yard will help...it's my best bet.~

Just as she reached the peak of her arc, she realized that the youth below must certainly be Ranma, even though she was...well, a she.

~Oh, well. Gender bending is hardly a new thing, anyway.~

And perhaps half a second before impact, she remembered her curse...

*SPLASH*

Ranma stared down at the annoyed hawk struggling to free itself from the pond. "Uh, Akane..."

"I see it, Ranma." Akane walked up and lifted the bird out of the pond. "You want me to get some hot water for her?"

"Are you nuts? She'll just start flinging fireballs again. Leave her as she is."

"That's not at all nice, Ranma! Perhaps if she agrees not to attack you when we change her back..."

The hawk, which was lying dejectedly in Akane's hands, nodded once. Ranma sighed. "Fine. You take her into the bathroom and change her back. No need for her to have another reason to attack me."

* * * * *

"So why exactly were you two attacking me?"

Rei, now back in human form and wearing one of Akane's gis, sipped her tea before answering. Ranma had also shifted back to his normal form, and was seated across from her. On the couch were Akane and her older sister, Kasumi.

"We were in China, hunting a demon, and some of us fell into springs at Jushenkyou. The Amazon Elder Cologne told us she could cure the curses, if we defeat you in combat."

"Huh?" Ranma scratched his head. "Maybe she's got a stash of Nyannichuan water we don't know about." He shrugged. "But why defeat me?"

"I don't know. She said it was to cure your being a sexist, but I don't think that's her real reason."

Akane snorted. "Probably just some scheme to get Ranma to marry that Chinese bimbo, Shampoo."

Rei smirked. "At least we know to ignore that idiot Kuno now. I *thought* his answers didn't make a whole lot of sense."

"Yeah. That's Kuno, all right."

She stood. "Thank you, Akane, for lending me the clothes. I'll get them back to you tomorrow. But I have to go."

"Waitaminute!" Ranma jumped to his feet. "You're coming back?"

"Not to fight. But more of the Senshi will be coming." She sighed. "You might not be the villain you were painted to be, but you're still the only obstacle between us and a cure."

"Right. That I can understand." Ranma nodded. "Tell your friends to bring it on."

"Oh, my!" Kasumi's hand flew to her mouth. "Ranma, I thought you never hit girls? Akane always complains that you never take her seriously."

"Well, these girls are different." Open mouth, insert foot. "They can take care of themselves."

"Ranma..." The mallet appeared out of nowhere, and Ranma took a short, but not entirely unexpected, nap.

Rei winced. "Now that, he had coming."

* * * * *

Author's notes:

Comments and Criticism can be sent to tailkinker@home.com.


	4. Part Four of Four

*DISCLAIMER*  
  
None of these characters, situations, places, names, letters or  
silicon pathways belong to me. In fact, I'm not even writing  
this fanfic.  
Tail Kinker Presents  
  
F L U X  
  
Part Four of Four  
"Saotome Ranma, I challenge you."  
  
"Man, and I just started breakfast." Ranma stood, a cup of  
orange juice in one hand, and approached the girl.  
  
The girl was tall, and quite pretty, with long blonde hair.  
Judging from the silly orange fuku and golden tiara she was  
wearing, she had to be one of these Sailor Senshi.  
  
The girl looked pointedly over Ranma's shoulder. "Saotome-san, I  
must ask that your fiancee leave the area. She might get hurt."  
  
Ranma glanced at Akane, who was standing next to him. "Why *are*  
you here, anyway?"  
  
Akane smirked. "I just want to watch a girl kick your ass."  
  
"Can you do it from over there?"  
  
Akane sighed. "All right." She returned to the porch and sat  
down.  
  
Ranma turned to the girl. "Your name?"  
  
"Sailor Venus."  
  
Ranma scratched his head. "I guess you can't give me your real  
name. Oh, well." He snapped into a ready stance. "Whenever  
you're ready."  
  
Sailor Venus charged towards him, one hand cocked to deliver a  
Crescent Beam.  
  
*SPLASH*  
  
And recieved a cup of cold orange juice in the face for her  
troubles.  
  
Ranma yawned. "Well, that was quick. C'mon, Akane, we're gonna  
be late."  
  
Akane gestured towards the rabbit staring at Ranma with hate in  
her eyes. "What about her?"  
  
Ranma sighed. "All right. I'll give her to Kasumi." He picked  
up the rabbit, and carried her into the kitchen.  
* * * * *  
"Don't you think that was kind of...underhanded, Ranma?"  
  
Ranma glanced over at Akane, who was walking beside him. For a  
lark, he'd decided to actually use the sidewalk.  
  
"Oh, you mean about the orange juice and Sailor Venus. Look,  
it's called Anything Goes for a reason, okay?"  
  
"I suppose..." Akane sighed. "I just think it wasn't really  
fair."  
  
Ranma shrugged.  
  
"Winning isn't everything, you know, Ranma."  
  
"You're right. It's the only thing." He sighed. "Besides, this  
way, she didn't get hurt. Right?"  
  
"You have an answer for everything, don't you?"  
  
"Well...no."  
  
Akane stopped and stared at Ranma in total shock. "The great  
Saotome Ranma, admitting he doesn't know everything?" She dropped  
to her knees, opened her bookbag and started searching through  
it.  
  
Ranma looked down at her, bemused. "Whatcha doin'?"  
  
She pulled out a notebook and pen. "Making a note of the date  
and time."  
  
Ranma rolled his eyes. "Yeesh! It's not like it never happens."  
  
"Saotome Ranma! Prepare to die!"  
  
Ranma groaned. "Great. As if I don't have enough to--" He  
dodged the incoming flying kick effortlessly, and his attacker  
rebounded off the wall.  
  
He turned, to face his assailant...another of the Sailor Senshi.  
  
This one was also tall and blonde, but her hair was gathered into  
long pigtails with stupid ondango-shaped knots at the base.  
Oddly, he recognized her - Sailor Moon. She'd been the subject  
of far too many commercials for stupid toys. He shrugged, and  
shifted to a ready stance.  
  
The girl struck a stupid pose. "For the honour of the Sailor  
Senshi, and for what you did to Sailor Venus especially, I will  
punish you!"  
  
Ranma reached into his bookbag, and pulled out a thermos. "Okay,  
whenever you're ready."  
  
Sailor Moon stepped towards him.  
  
Ranma unscrewed the top of the thermos and threw the contents  
into her face. This resulted only in a wet, angry, orange-  
flavoured Senshi.  
  
Ranma shrugged, and put the thermos away. "Guess I couldn't  
expect it to work every time."  
  
Sailor Moon roared in anger - Ranma noted how odd it sounded  
coming from her - and launched herself into another flying kick.  
Which Ranma avoided as easily as he had the first. There was a  
*splash* as Sailor Moon landed in the canal.  
  
Ranma straightened up again. "Yo, Akane, you ready for that math  
quiz today?"  
  
Akane shook her head. "You're impossible."  
  
"What?" Ranma shrugged. "She's completely hopeless. I can't  
fight her."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Ranma leaned to the side as Sailor Moon went flying past him.  
"She can't fight. Not even a little. Heck, even you could beat  
her, even with her super powers."  
  
"Super powers?" Akane blinked. "I don't know if I could beat  
someone who throws fireballs or beams or something..."  
  
"Nah." Ranma bent over forwards, and Sailor Moon sailed  
haplessly past him again. He righted himself. "Maybe she's got  
those, too." He sniffed the air and scowled. "I think she landed  
in a garbage pile, that last time. No, I mean her strength and  
speed. It's way above what it should be."  
  
Akane blinked. "Above what it should be?"  
  
"Yep." He leaned to the side this time, and this time, Sailor  
Moon slammed into the wall, nearly knocking herself silly.  
"Endurance, too. Look, that girl's no bigger around than  
Gosunkugi, right? And all other things being equal, girls don't  
have as much muscle power, pound for pound, as guys. Now don't  
get steamed, Akane, it's a fact of life."  
  
Akane counted to ten before responding. "Okay, I'll give you  
that one."  
  
"But you guys got us guys beat on pain threshold, recovery times,  
and stamina. And a lack of raw strength can be compensated for."  
He held out a hand and caught Sailor Moon in mid leap, and set  
her down before him.  
  
"Now, look." He took her hand and adjusted the angle of her  
wrist. "Keep your hand like this, and punch. Put your whole  
body into it; pivot on the ball of your foot. But do it quick."  
He stepped back, and raised an open palm. "Here's your target.  
Go on."  
  
Sailor Moon hesitated, then threw a punch at his hand.  
  
"No, you've got to remember to keep your wrist in line, and  
pivot. You'll get a lot more use out of the power you've got  
that way."  
  
She threw the punch again, and Ranma nodded. "Better. Keep  
practising that, and you'll get a lot better. That one punch is  
the foundation of an entire martial arts form." He opened his  
bento. "Have some shrimp."  
  
Sailor Moon's eyes popped open. "Shrimp! I love shrimp!" She  
grabbed the bento and started bolting the contents.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane was now furious. "I spent hours working on that  
for you!"  
  
"Really?" Ranma glanced down at the now green and comatose  
Sailor Senshi at his feet. "It shows."  
  
*WHAM!*  
* * * * *  
"All right, Saotome! Get ready to fight!"  
  
Ranma stared in total disbelief at the pint-sized "menace" before  
him. Whoever she was, she had pink hair, and was perhaps nine  
years old. And even that might be giving her some credit...  
  
"You have *GOT* to be kidding."  
  
"Nope!" The girl assumed some semblance of a fighting stance.  
"I got as much right to fight you as any of the others. Even if  
they disagree."  
  
"I can see where they might."  
  
The girl ran up to him and kicked him in the shin.  
  
"Ite!" He hopped back a step, and glared at her. "Listen, kid.  
You really don't want to do this. Run away home, now, before you  
get hurt."  
  
"Yeah, right. I've heard all about you, Saotome! You won't hit  
a girl." She grinned. "Especially not one as young as me,  
right?" She ran forward, and began to flail wildly in his general  
direction.  
  
Ranma put a hand out on her forehead, and held her a safe  
distance from himself. "Look, kid, go home before I have  
toooOOOOWW!" He pulled his hand back, and examined the tooth  
marks in it. "Kid, you're really starting to annoy me." He  
raised his hands and took a step forward to grab her.  
  
"Ranma! Prepare to die!"  
  
Okay, let's try to look at it from Ryouga's point of view. Here  
he was, wandering some godforsaken corner of the Earth - after  
all, there was no way at all for him to suspect that he was in  
Nerima - ticked off as all get out that the natives would not  
explain to him the fastest way to reach Japan. He turns a  
corner, and there is Saotome Ranma, his arch-nemesis...apparently  
about to start beating up some poor kid.  
  
Ranma cursed. "Oh, man, this is exactly what I do NOT need at  
this precise moment..." He dodged a Shi Shi Houkodan, then  
grabbed the kid and jumped out of the way of the next, alighting  
on the school wall.  
  
"Dammit, Ranma, now you've stooped to picking on kids!"  
  
Ranma cursed, and leaped into the schoolyard. "You want a piece  
of me, Ryouga? C'mon! I'm gonna cream ya!"  
  
Ryouga snarled, and charged forward, one fist extended. Ranma's  
danger sense went off suddenly, but not from Ryouga's charge. He  
leaned to the side...  
  
*SPLASH*  
  
"Bukiiii!!"  
  
Ranma blinked, and glanced over at Sailor ChibiMoon...who was  
holding Ranma's thermos.  
  
"Rats! I missed."  
  
"Oh?" Ranma scooped Ryouga up off the ground. "Here. Have a  
pig."  
  
"Yay!" She grabbed the pig and locked it into a death grip.  
"I'm gonna call him Fred!"  
  
Ranma smirked. "You do that. But preferably somewhere else."  
* * * * *  
"Ranma, if you get any more conceited, your head is gonna  
explode."  
  
Ranma raised his hands defensively. "Look, all I'm sayin',  
Akane, is that I've beaten five of them already. They suck,  
okay? Maybe that Mars girl was halfway decent, but she had a  
hole in her defense a mile wide."  
  
"A hole that only you, and maybe Cologne, could exploit."  
  
"Exactly!"  
  
Akane rolled her eyes. "Look, Ranma. I might - MIGHT - forgive  
your arrogance after beating Mars. But you've got no call to  
boast about beating ChibiMoon."  
  
"Is that her name? Sounds kinda stupid."  
  
"Dammit, Ranma!" Akane stopped walking and turned to glare at  
him. "She's just a kid!"  
  
"Hey! It's not like I hurt her or anythin'."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"I mean, I just put my hand on her head, and then she couldn't  
reach me. But then she bit me." Ranma scowled at the memory.  
"Of course, then I managed to..." He stopped.  
  
"Managed to what?"  
  
"Ah..." Ranma cudgeled his brain for an answer that wouldn't get  
him malleted. *Can't tell her she splashed Ryouga...Can't tell  
her I gave away P-Chan...Ah-ha!*  
  
"Shampoo tried to interfere in the fight, and the kid splashed  
her with my thermos. So I handed Shampoo to the kid, and she  
took off, cheering because she had a pet." Ranma grinned.  
*Mostly the truth, too. Nice work, brain.*  
  
Akane considered this for a moment, then nodded. "You hit her,  
right?"  
  
"Whaaaat?"  
  
"Ranma, there's no way I'm believing that you managed to pick up  
Shampoo in her cursed form."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Akane grinned. "What does Shampoo turn into, Ranma?"  
  
"Huh? You know...she turns into a c...c...ca..."  
  
"The defense rests. You can't even say it, can you?" Akane  
laughed. "Well, I hope for your sake that you didn't hurt her  
too badly. There's one Senshi left to fight. And who knows how  
mad she'll be?"  
  
"Senshi?" Ukyo had just turned the corner, a boxed okonomiyaki  
in hand. "What's Ranchan gotten himself into this time?"  
  
Akane smirked. "Oh, he only picked a fight with the Sailor  
Senshi. All of them."  
  
Ukyo blinked. "Wow." She turned to Ranma. "Cremation or  
burial?"  
  
Ranma blinked. "Ummm...I've beaten five of them so far."  
  
"Really? That's my Ranchan! So who's left?"  
  
"Ummm..."  
  
Akane sighed. "He doesn't know."  
  
"I do so! The..."  
  
Ukyo grinned at him. "Well?"  
  
"Saotome Ranma, I challenge you!"  
  
The three turned to face the challenger - a tall brunette, quite  
pretty, but with an expression of determination on her face.  
  
Ranma grinned. "Her!"  
  
Ukyo blinked. "That's the last one you have to fight?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"You're doomed."  
  
Akane nodded. "Sailor Jupiter is the best of all six in hand-to-  
hand combat."  
  
Ranma grinned. "Forget it. I can beat her. It's martial arts!"  
He stepped forward. "Ready?"  
  
Jupiter grinned. "Yep." She blinked. "You know..."  
  
Ranma paused. "What?"  
  
"You look just like my old boyfriend..."  
  
There was a distinct sound of teeth grinding from behind Ranma.  
He rolled his eyes skyward. "Oh, man. I *really* wish you  
hadn't said that..."  
  
"Something you want to tell us, Ranchan?"  
  
Ranma whirled around and raised his hands. "I don't know her!  
Really!"  
  
"Oh really? It seems like she knows you."  
  
"Yeah, Ranchan. Entirely too well."  
  
There was a quiet *shing* of a battle spatula being drawn, then,  
in stereo:  
  
"Ranma no baka!"  
  
*WHAM* *WHAM*  
  
Jupiter blinked.  
  
Akane shifted her mallet to a better grip, and Ukyo re-sheathed  
her battle spat. Jupiter stepped forward and examined Ranma's  
remains.  
  
"Boy, you girls sure got him under control."  
  
Ukyo fumed. "Keep clear, hussy. He's spoken for."  
  
Jupiter grinned. "Don't worry. There's just one thing I want  
from him..." She raised a fist and planted it square in Ranma's  
face.  
* * * * *  
-Ring-Ring-  
  
Cologne looked up as a trio of girls - Sailor Jupiter, Tendo  
Akane, and Kuonji Ukyo - dragged a comatose Ranma into the room.  
Jupiter stepped forward to Cologne and bowed.  
  
"Mission accomplished."  
  
Cologne chuckled. "I am impressed." She pogoed over to the  
counter and withdrew four bars of soap. She handed three of them  
to Jupiter. "Tell your friends to bathe with this soap. It will  
alleviate the curse. It is, as I said, only a temporary  
solution. Washing with the soap will lock the curse for one  
week. Though that time is reduced if you bathe without it - it  
tends to wash off. Apply as needed."  
  
"And when these run out?"  
  
"Well..." Cologne spent a moment to light her pipe, and took a  
long drag off of it. "I might need your help in the future."  
  
"Oh, great." Jupiter rolled her eyes. "Look, lady, we're not  
mercenaries."  
  
"Oh, never fret. If I call you, it will be for something you  
most likely would have handled on your own anyway. But for  
now...Shampoo? Would you be so kind as to drag Son-In-Law up to  
the bathroom?" She handed Shampoo the fourth bar of soap. "Cold  
water first."  
* * * * *  
Ranma groaned, and rolled over onto her back. Not that this  
helped matters much; now the sun was shining in her eyes.  
  
Bad enough that one of the Senshi had managed to defeat her. Oh,  
sure, she'd had help, in the form of two jealous fiancees putting  
the boots to Ranma, but the last strike had been Jupiter's.  
  
Worse, still. The old ghoul had had her bathed using the water-  
proof soap. So much for her male form, for at least a week.  
More likely longer.  
  
She sat up and rubbed the rather sizeable lump on her forehead.  
Then looked down at herself.  
  
She was dressed in one of Shampoo's cheongsams.  
  
"Aw, man, if Mom sees me in this..."  
  
"Never fear, Son-in-law."  
  
Ranma turned and glared at the elder Amazon. "Old ghoul! Why'd  
you do this to me?"  
  
"The dress, or the curse?" She chuckled. "Your own clothes are  
currently drying. Until they are finished...well, on Shampoo  
that dress is less than modest. On you, it's like a tent.  
  
"As for why I locked your curse...Consider it a lesson in  
humility. It's not the truth, but you wouldn't understand the  
truth." With that, the old woman turned and hopped out of the  
room.  
  
Ranma stared after her. "A lesson in humility?" She looked  
down. "Well, those girls weren't too tough, but they were  
skilled...Perhaps she means I should show them more respect." She  
hopped to her feet. "No time like the present."  
  
She made a quick check to confirm that she was still wearing her  
boxers - finding panties would have been a cause to frenzy - then  
steeled herself, and walked down the stairs.  
  
Akane was seated with two girls in the main dining room of the  
restaurant. It took Ranma a second to realize that one of the  
girls with Akane was Hino Rei; the taller girl she didn't  
recognize.  
  
Akane gaped at Ranma as she walked into the dining room. "What  
on earth...?"  
  
Ranma sighed. "The old ghoul put it on me while I was  
unconscious."  
  
"Why didn't you take it off?"  
  
"My own clothes are drying."  
  
"...Ah." Akane decided that, while Ranma was definitely being a  
pervert - somehow - she needed more details before she'd feel  
justified in pounding her.  
  
The taller girl stood up and bowed to Ranma. "My name is Kino  
Makoto. Saotome Ranma, I would like to study under you."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Huh?"  
  
"I've studied under many teachers, but not even one could  
possibly approach you in skill."  
  
Ranma frowned. "Well, I suppose I could use a student."  
  
"Six students." Makoto straightened up. "All six of us would  
like to learn from you. Well, some more than others." She  
grinned.  
  
Ranma nodded. "Right. I understand. But will you be okay with  
this?"  
  
Makoto tilted her head. "With what?"  
  
"Well, I may not know exactly who you are...but I do know that  
you're one of the Senshi. And if I'm gonna train you, I've gotta  
know even more about you six. Are you sure that's all right?"  
  
"We'll make an exception, in your case."  
  
"Plus, there's the fact of my curse. In fact, more so, right  
now."  
  
Makoto laughed. "Come on! Consider just who we are! We're used  
to shape changing people."  
  
"Right. Then I'd be honoured to teach you."  
  
The girl blinked. "Just like that."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"But..." Makoto paused; she didn't want to insult him, but  
after hearing some of the things that had been said about him...  
  
"Hey, the way I figure it, you girls with the curses are gonna  
burn through all that soap Cologne gave you sooner or later."  
She shrugged. Who knows what the old ghoul will make you do for  
the next batch. If it's something dangerous, you should be  
ready."  
  
"And if it's taking you on again?"  
  
Ranma smirked. "Then I should be ready, too." The smirk  
deepened. "Next time we fight, I'll know every dirty trick you  
can pull. And you can bet I'll have a counter worked out. Ranma  
Saotome don't lose."  
  
"Herb."  
  
"Shut up, Akane."  
  
"Tsubasa."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"Tarou."  
  
"SHUT UP!"  
* * * * *  
Author's Notes:  
  
Yep, this took a while. Writer's block is a pain; so is work.  
Ah, well...C&C can be sent to groves_ca@yahoo.co.uk.  
  
Further Author's Notes:  
  
Originally, when I started this, I predicted a four-part story.  
But then I said to myself, "Self, when was the last time you came  
in under-budget for word count?" So I bumped it to six parts.  
  
Imagine my surprise when I finished what I really had to say in  
four chapters.  
  
So I wrote two more chapters to bring it up to the six I had  
predicted. Dumb move; the extra two chapters sucked eggs.  
  
So here is Chapter Four with the original ending I had in mind,  
and Chapters Five and Six will live on only in mirror sites that  
don't update anymore. :) 


End file.
